Where Liberalism Is Alive and Well!

Adam Green recently sent out a mass email attacking President Obama based on several lies concocted from a press conference on July 11, 2011. These lies were born and reside only in the mind of Adam Green, as well as the rabid Obamahaters who cling to Green’s every word to justify their irrational hatred for our President.

Green’s group, the PCCC (Progressive Change Campaign Committee), is probably the most organized group of people suffering from Obama Derangement Syndrome.

Lie Number 1: The lie upon which most of the other lies were derived: Obama “came right out and said” that he’s pushing for benefit cuts in important programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Adam Green cherry picked Obama’s statements in order to concoct a lie. He plucked one utterance of the word “benefits” from a general statement by Obama in which he discussed the broader issues of how we get the country’s fiscal house in order. Bear in mind — the word “benefits” does not appear anywhere near the words “Social Security,” “Medicare” or “Medicaid” (the big 3), and considering the President had addressed those issues before and after that question in the press conference, it shows that Adam Green doesn’t give a shit about the truth. If he did, he would have looked at everything the President said and not cherry picked one word and then connected it to previous words in order to manufacture a lie.

Adam Green is using scare tactics to raise money from his vulnerable and apparently very gullible followers. I’ve been waiting for him to talk about “death panels”.

The following passage is where Adam Green plucked that word from. Of course, I’m including the context — unlike Mr. Green. The bold type is where he grabs that lone word, “benefits”.

And if you’re a progressive that cares about investments in Head Start and student loan programs and medical research and infrastructure, we’re not going to be able to make progress on those areas if we haven’t gotten our fiscal house in order.

So the argument I’m making to my party is, the values we care about — making sure that everybody in this country has a shot at the American Dream and everybody is out there with the opportunity to succeed if they work hard and live a responsible life, and that government has a role to play in providing some of that opportunity through things like student loans and making sure that our roads and highways and airports are functioning, and making sure that we’re investing in research and development for the high-tech jobs of the future — if you care about those things, then you’ve got to be interested in figuring out how do we pay for that in a responsible way.

And so, yeah, we’re going to have a sales job; this is not pleasant. It is hard to persuade people to do hard stuff that entails trimming benefits and increasing revenues. But the reason we’ve got a problem right now is people keep on avoiding hard things, and I think now is the time for us to go ahead and take it on.

As you can see, in the preceding two paragraphs, the president is talking in general about the difficulty of getting our fiscal house in order so that we can do things that progressives, I say liberals, care about. He was talking very broadly. I can just picture Adam Green wetting himself when President Obama said the word “benefits.” And I can also imagine him jumping on his computer and starting to type that dishonest appeal to his listserv for money, even before the President finished his sentence. He must have missed what came after that benign and very general reference to “trimming benefits”.

Click Read More for the rest of the post!

And if we analyze that sentence as it was spoken, the president is talking in general about the debt ceiling negotiations, which have included cuts and taxes. He was referencing the process and not talking specifically about any benefits. He did, however, speak very specifically about them elsewhere in the press conference, but Adam wouldn’t want to pull those quotes out, they don’t work quite as well for crafting a completely bogus appeal. What the president specifically said was “It is hard to persuade people to do hard stuff …”. So he’s talking about the difficulty of dealing with these issues. He didn’t refer to any specifics of what might be cut, he’s merely talking about the difficulty of getting politicians to do the hard stuff…” that entails trimming benefits and increasing revenues.” That is exactly what the debt ceiling negotiations have been about for months. Republicans want to cut benefits (and other things) and Democrats want to increase revenue (taxes on the rich). So the President didn’t say anything about cutting benefits to any of “the big 3”, but he was just talking very broadly about the difficulty of getting politicians to do any goddamn thing — a far cry from what Adam Green wanted his “donors” to believe. He was throwing them their red meat – but it’s really tofu painted red and marble-ized.

Now let’s take a look at how Green interpreted that use of the word “benefit”…(emphasis mine, throughout)

BREAKING: Today, in a press conference, President Obama came right out and said it: He’s pushing for benefit cuts in important programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

You and 175,000 others boldly pledged that if Obama actually cuts Medicare/Medicaid benefits, you’ll take your money and volunteering elsewhere in 2012.

Is that what you saw or read from the President? It’s a fucking lie. President Obama didn’t say anything even remotely close to that. Sorry to deliver that news to you so “boldly”, Adam.

That plucking of “benefits” was the basis for most of the other misinformation that followed.

More from the transcript of the press conference, gotta love context. This was the very next question, if only Adam wasn’t cleaning up after his wetting incident or busy typing on his computer, maybe he would have heard how the president actually feels about Social Security…

THE PRESIDENT: With respect to Social Security, Social Security is not the source of our deficit problems. Social Security, if it is part of a package, would be an issue of how do we make sure Social Security extends its life and is strengthened? So the reason to do Social Security is to strengthen Social Security to make sure that those benefits are there for seniors in the out-years. And the reason to include that potentially in this package is if you’re going to take a bunch of tough votes, you might as well do it now, as opposed to trying to muster up the political will to get something done further down in the future.

The president has been very clear that Social Security is not the source of our deficit problems and any changes to it will be to strengthen it. Does Adam not know what the word “strengthen” means or is that the selective omission part of his dishonest appeal. It proves that Adam Green is a grifter, trying to raise money off people who may either genuinely care about liberal policies, but have been led down this road that Adam Green has conned them into traveling or they are libertarians. Many of these people have no desire to be critical of Green’s words, they want to cheer and chant and jump up and down, so it probably doesn’t really matter to those folks if he lies.

Here is the detail and supposed significance, as Adam Green distorts it…

1) “We’re going to have a sales job. This is not pleasant. It is hard to persuade people to do hard stuff that entails trimming benefits and increasing revenues.”

Significance: This is the first time Obama admitted he is pushing “benefit” cuts that would hurt our grandparents, kids, and the disabled — not just “savings” like negotiating lower drug prices.

That is another massive, fucking lie that comes from Adam Green’s ass. There is no basis for it at all. Show me anywhere in that entire press conference where the President “pushed” for any cuts to the big 3. It ain’t there, you lying sack of shit. Of course Green then goes there with “hurt our grandparents, kids and the disabled”. Wow, utterly fucking shameless.

Significance:Polling shows that by 4 to 1, Americans want taxes increased on the rich. The “millionaires tax” proposed by House progressives would raise $1 trillion — helping to take benefit cuts off the table. By his own admission, Obama is not even asking for this!

President Obama has made it clear for months that he wasn’t going to raise taxes in this fragile recovery and pull money out of the system. He’s carefully trying to keep our economy rolling along, and as anyone who really pays attention knows, businesses and Wall Street freak at the mere mention of the word “tax”. The combination of pulling money out of the economy and making Wall Street freak, would be a bad thing. I felt obligated to educate Adam on that, because he apparently hasn’t been paying attention to anything that doesn’t fit his narrative. One that is coming completely unraveled. Delicious, isn’t it?

It’s kind of amazing how Adam Green then uses that fact that polling shows that “Americans want taxes increased on the rich” as if that is counter to what President Obama wants, simply because he stated that he wasn’t talking about raising taxes in the near term. That is not counter to what the President wants, it is EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESIDENT WANTS! And he has said it countless times, over and over again. Go watch the Presidents speech from April where he lays it all out, in painstaking detail, how he thinks we should be dealing with our looming deficit problem and budgets. That one is so well known, I’m not even going bore you readers with it, if Adam hasn’t heard the President talk about raising taxes on the rich…well, fill in the blank.

Lie Number 3

3) “The vast majority of Democrats on Capitol Hill would prefer not to have to do anything on entitlements; would prefer, frankly, not to have to do anything on some of these debt and deficit problems.”

Significance: The House Progressive Caucus proposed balancing the budget by taxing the rich, making companies like GE pay taxes, ending the wars, and other popular, progressive proposals. By his own admission, Obama didn’t even try for these — and then he attacks progressive Democrats with false, right-wing talking points.

The President is making another general comment about the culture in Washington of dodging tough votes and the concept that politicians would “prefer” to not do controversial things. No, say it ain’t so. Politicians are never wishy washy and they never kick the can down the road or take the easy path.

But Adam then goes on to tell about the House Progressive Caucus and their really great proposal that all of us liberals can get behind, except it has no chance of passing. It’s a damn shame that Republicans control the house and won’t even let it get out of the rules committee and onto the floor of the house. At which point I want to say, thanks a lot, Adam Green, for helping Republicans get back control of the House in 2010, you selfish punk.

So yes, that is a great proposal, supported by many Democrats who know that they will never get a chance to vote on it, which makes it so much easier. If it came down to actually voting to cut defense spending that might affect jobs in their districts, well then you might get a different response from some of these folks.

So, to the meat of the last lie. He states that the House Progressive Caucus proposed “taxing the rich, making companies like GE pay taxes, ending the wars”, yes, they did. AND SO DID PRESIDENT OBAMA.

Once again, I refer anyone who doesn’t believe it to President Obama’s speech in April where he laid it all out, very eloquently, seriously and honestly. But then Green throws this out “By his own admission, Obama didn’t even try for these”, which I have no idea what the fuck he’s talking about and I don’t think he does either. He continues with “and then he attacks progressive Democrats with false, right-wing talking points” which is an even bigger, what the fuck are you talking about? There’s no reference, no citation, just a broad statement that has no basis in reality.

Bonus Lie, The Hits Just Keep Coming – And it is the worst of the worst

The President’s words, edited and plucked from a much larger context.

3) ”With respect to Social Security, Social Security is not the source of our deficit problems….the reason to include that potentially in this package is if you’re going to take a bunch of tough votes, you might as well do it now, as opposed to trying to muster up the political will to get something done further down in the future.”

Significance:Seriously??? Why is a Democratic president going out of his way to help Republicans cut Social Security??? That’s just wrong.

You fucking lying douchenozzle (Twitter has benefits). That is the farthest thing from the truth, of all the bullshit lies you put in this email. You are the lowest form of pond scum. That one statement alone should land you at the bottom of the stinking, rotting pile of waste that the Professional Left has become. It is so blatantly wrong and an obvious attempt to inflame your readers, that you sealed your fate.

He did build up to that last lie slowly, building on one lie and then another to end up with that whopper that should ring in the ears of any cable executive who is considering having you on their network to spew your lies. I’ll refer you back to the top of this post where President Obama talked about strengthening Social Security. Or watch Obama’s speech from April; he’s been very consistent for months on Social Security, and has never said anything about cutting benefits.

The big question we are left with as it relates to Adam Green and his PCCC is — if you are a progressive as you say, then why would you have to resort to lying, distorting and manufacturing in order to pitch to your “supporters”.

You are a grifter, pure and simple. Here is the definition…

–noun Slang .

1 – a person who operates a side show at a circus, fair, etc., especially a gambling attraction.

You can join with Jane Hamsher in her irrelevancy and skip down the road together into oblivion. But it didn’t really have to be that way for either of you.

If you want to read even more analysis of Adam Green’s stupidity, Joy at The Reid Reportbreaks it down even further with extended passages that counter Adam’s bullshit. With Jane Hamsher’s completely batshit post yesterday, which Deaniac83 covers at The People’s View, I think we are watching the “death rattle” of the Professional Left.

UPDATE:The Obama Diary has some great details about where all the money raised by the grifters (Adam Green, Jane Hamsher and Glenn Greenwald) goes. Personally, every time they make an appeal like the one above, I donate another $50 to Obama 2012. If you can afford it, please do the same. Stay home and cook dinner this weekend and send the money you saved to the only adult in the room – the only person in Washington who seems to give a shit about Americans who are hurting, President Obama.

Thankfully I don’t belong to his “progressive” group. However, I get up to a couple of emails DAILY from “progressive” groups like Reader Supported News, Truthout, Common Dreams, BEGGING for donations. (they are always going broke and where else could I get links to the Hamwaldians so neatly lined up for me?) So like being a charlatan televangelist/megachurch preacher, leading a “progressive” group might be lucrative. Who knows how many from the REICH aren’t dressing up in progressive “sheep’s clothing” to make a buck?

Sounds like Green wants a full Republican takeover next year, meaning more controversy which means MORE MONEY for leftist attack groups like his. Already a majority of federal judges all over the nation are right-wingers. Green’s plan only helps the corporatist fascists take over here if they already haven’t.

I have to admit I used to be on PCCC mailing list and over on my blog I had a link to the PCCC’s website but after that bullshit stunt that pulled days before President Obama’s speech regarding the deal that prevented the government shutdown I unsubscribed and yank down the PCCC link off my blog. I really do think these guys want a complete Republican takeover look at how they’re acting they do more twisting of President Obama’s word than the right wing blogs do. While we’re stuck with a tea bag house, tea bag senate and probably a tea bag president fuckwads like Adam Green and Jane Hamsher will be hauling in the cash from the very same people who encourage their followers to go against their interest.

I’m done with listening to these progressive morons like Keith Olbermann and whoever this Adam Green guy is. His facts are screwy and whats more they aren’t about progressive principles much of it is feigned and just trying to make a quick buck. The reason these guys go broke btw is because they use the money to spend on wallstreet, the people they claim to be against.

The themes are then broadcast by the likes of Ed Schultz who has been ranting about Obama making big cuts in Medicare, Social Security. It’s funny how much these guys know what is happening in private meetings!!!

Grant: Have you noticed the complete 180 that Schultz has done this week between Monday and last night? He went from complete freak-out mode to “the president is the only honest broker in the room”. I didn’t know whether to scream or laugh. He helps to get the “progressives” all fired up over what might happen, and then backs off as if he had nothing to do with the uproar. Right now, Lawrence O’Donnell is on fire backing the president. Try to grab one of the clips from this week’s shows.

I am no longer a hardcore MSNBC viewer so haven’t been watching much after O’Donnell. We don’t have Current TV available on my Comcast cable so can’t see Olbermann other than online and haven’t bothered and to think I used to not miss his show on MSBNC. I also dropped HBO so no longer watch Maher, either. With both Matthews and O’Donnell actually having worked in the Congress, they seem to have a better understanding of the dynamics of politics and negotiations. O’Donnell has even been quite impressed with Obama’s negotiations. But still on all of the cable shows, you have the “professional left and right” jumping around all day from studio to studio to give their “expert” opinions. With Uygur on “vacation” I have actually enjoyed Rev. Sharpton and former RNC Chairman Michael Steele actually makes some sense at times now since getting the heave-ho from the teabagger hi-jacked GOP.

EL, I just read your post from my inbox and I also just got one from Bold Progressives saying they had 200, 000 sigs to tell the president they wouldn’t be donating if he cut SS, Medicare, whatever. So, I replied to them with..”Fuck you bold liars..I’m donating to the President.

Lawrence O’Donnell calls out the outraged “progressives” tonight for jumping all over Obama for wanting to “raise” the retirement age when it actually happened in 1987 with progressive support then. The retirement age has moved up incrementally since then. Anyone born after 1969 already waits until age 67 to begin withdrawing a Social Security pension.

O’Donnell snarked that some of those from the vocal “left” were either “voting Republican” back in 1987 or weren’t even old enough to vote! (think Huffington or Aravosis) O’Donnell remarked that IF somebody has never “been in the room” when such high power talks are being made, they have no idea what the dynamics are. O’Donnell for many years was a staffer under Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He led the staff of the Senate’s tax-writing committee during the consideration of President Bill Clinton’s first budget, which Congress enacted in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. O’Donnell has “BEEN IN THE ROOM” whereas the Hamwaldians only have been invited to spew on MSNBC, CNN, or even Faux News.

BTW, Chris Matthews was formerly a staffer of Senators Frank Moss and Edmund Muskie and served on the staff of Speaker of House Tip O’Neil, so Matthews also knows all about the dynamics of Washington.

I’d bet a lot of money that there won’t be a deal, the McConnell plan is where they will end up. It’s the way out they had planned all along. Wall Street was never going to let the Republicans NOT raise the debt ceiling. Republicans take their orders from the fat cats, they didn’t think President Obama would last them out. Remember back a long time ago there was a story about how McConnell assured some Wall Street guys not to worry about the debt ceiling.

It was a political gamble that the Republicans took and President Obama and his political people are taking advantage of it, using it to make him seem like the adult…but of course it’s obvious he is the only adult in Washington.

Ed mood swings are getting annoying I wish he just wait and see what the president actually says then acting like a d-bag poster on Democratic Underground when they hear rumors. Grant what’s going on with Cenk(not I’m hoping he comes back anytime soon)? Rev.Al is kicking all kinds of ass and I hope it leads to him taking the spot from Cenk and I hope that whole Hamsher calling Obama voters dumb Mfers would lead to her being on Rev Al’s show sometime next week.

EL, I have sent this to numerous sites. The Obama Diary has a piece very similar to yours. We need to spread the word. Eventually, someone will pick up the truth and run with it. thanks for the great work.

I hope that’s true. I also hope there aren’t other painful cuts. Of course, if the American people do get a win like that, you guys’ll say I was wrong all along, while I’ll walk away thinking I did my job pushing back against the possibility of cuts to needed programs. How can we reconcile that?

There AREN’T ANY “painful cuts” so far, contrary to what some progressive “Chicken Littles” are screaming. There definitely needs to be some tightening up in Medicare as there is too much fraud, too much double-billing, even for procedures not performed. A recent report reveals that half of all angiograms/stents are not needed and even may be dangerous. Too many people are riding the malls on their “free” electric scooters, and many CPAP machines may not really be necessary. Recently some Houston doctors and home health services were busted for a scam where they preyed on senior citizens thinking they needed somebody to come into their homes every day to take temperatures and blood pressures, then charge obscene prices. Most folks could monitor their own health with a cheap thermometer and blood pressure cuff.

Over $400 BILLION taxes go uncollected by the IRS each year, which should also be addressed. The rich also can afford tax attorneys to ferret out every tax loophole in the book. However, to collect taxes that are due, to police Medicare/Social Security fraud would require hiring more government employees and we all know the REICH hate such employees. Hard to have regulation when most in the GOP don’t want to pay for regulators.

RUMOR alert:::: Bloomberg is reporting that President Obama has eliminated Elizabeth Warren as a candidate to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The story has not been confirmed by the White House. The sources are “persons” and the information not been verified by Bloomberg. But imagine the howling that has already winding up among the professional left.

Haven’t heard this yet on Cable yet. MSNBC is running their typical weekend marathon of prison/cop reruns and CNN has their new REICH-wing talking head, the young Will Cain, bad-mouthing all things Obama.

Houston now has the greatest number of millionaires of any city in America beating out L.A., N.Y.C., D.C. and Boston. Houston’s millionaire population surged by 9.6% to a total of 96,700 wealthy citizens from 2009 to 2010. The year before that, 2008 to 2009, Houston saw its millionaire ranks surge by 29%….over 38% growth in this “recession” that began under George W. Bush. Of course the main business in Houston is oil, gas, and their support industries which have experienced record profits now under Obama. Next, watch for Gov. Perry to take credit for this!

All of you should know, if you don’t already, that Michael Snook is the CIO of PCCC. In this case, he is being nice and trying to ingratiate himself w/o saying who he is. He is not just some blogger or interested college student.

You can see his comments above, appearing reasonable while not disclosing he works for the people that are the subject of this article.